Study Finds Menopause Symptoms Can Be Predicted

The number of eggs left in a woman's ovaries are like the grains of sand in an hourglass, ticking away the hours on her biological clock.

Researchers now say they may be able to predict when that clock will wind down.

And while doctors can't actually count the number of eggs in an ovary, they can measure ovarian volume. British researchers say there's a direct correlation between the two, and by measuring ovarian volume with transvaginal ultrasound, doctors should be able to predict when menopause will set in and how many fertile years a woman has left.

According to the study authors, this information will revolutionize the care of women looking for assisted reproductive technologies, including those who were treated for childhood cancers as well as women who want to put off starting a family for whatever reason.

Although information still needs to be validated in clinical studies, its benefit is most likely to start with women who are being treated for cancer and women attending fertility clinics, said Tom Kelsey, co-author of the study appearing June 17 in the journal Human Reproduction.

"If women looking for some sort of assisted conception and their physicians know that they've got a long time till menopause, then you could plan for a range of treatments," said Kelsey, who is a senior research fellow at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. "If you knew menopause was likely in four to five years, you'd plan a different set of IVF [in vitro fertilization] treatments."

Others reiterate, however, that the findings should be treated with caution.

"Should a young woman who is 30 years old go for a test to figure out whether she's got three, five or 10 years left on her fertility? Should she make career decisions and life decisions? Are these data good enough to make those determinations?" asked Dr. Alan Copperman, director of reproductive medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. "The answer is obviously no to all of those questions. The predictive value of this test is not good enough to go and tell someone to change their life."

According to the article, eggs form in a female's ovary while she is still in the womb, peaking at several million about halfway through gestation and then starting a continuous decline. At birth, there are several hundred thousand and, when menstruation begins, about 300,000. At about age 37, a woman has about 25,000 eggs left, and at menopause only about 1,000.

The time at which menopause sets in is widely believed to be based on the number of eggs reaching a critically low threshold.

The authors of this study measured ovarian volume with transvaginal ultrasound, then looked at the relationship between ovarian volume -- ovaries shrink as a woman ages -- and number of eggs. They then applied mathematical and computer models to predict menopause.

The study authors are negotiating with a medical school to set up clinical trials. The idea would be to follow women to see if their predictions were indeed correct.

While these authors have come up with a tool to potentially help women plan their lives, a second study in the same issue of Human Reproduction warned that women might not want to leave it too late. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) could not be relied upon to fully compensate for lack of natural fertility after the age of 35, the article stated.

The authors used a computer simulation model to determine that the overall success rate of assisted reproductive technology would be 30 percent for those attempting to get pregnant from age 30, 24 percent for those trying from age 35, and 17 percent from age 40.

SOURCES: Tom Kelsey, Ph.D., senior research fellow, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Alan Copperman, M.D., director, reproductive medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York; June 17, 2004, Human Reproduction

menopause the musical cleveland ohio
Menopause the Musical - Jeanie Linders
Cabaret Sampler - Kennedy's at Playhouse Square Center - Cleveland Ohio. June Lange from Menopause the Musical, Eileen Burns from Pickwick & Frolicâ™s

Something Dada: Cleveland Black Box Theater Presents: Michael
Kalliope Stage â“ Cleveland Heights, OH Menopause the Musical â“ Cleveland, OH Name: Something Dada: Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Speaking Bio and recent engagements for Dr. Todd J. Pesek, MD, CEO
Menopause the Musical - review of musical 'celebration of women experiencing Carolann Page as a housewife from Ohio in town to see the sights and shop.

Menopause - The Musical at Southern Theatre in Columbus on January
Dr. Pesek is a Health Sciences Professor at Cleveland State University where he keynote presentations at the Menopause the Musical and Woman in Balance,

Cleveland Theater Collective
Coast to Coast Tickets Is Your Ticket Broker For Columbus Ohio Concerts, Menopause - The Musical on January 24, 2008, Tickets Available, Tickets

Cleveland Theater Collective
Menopause the Musical. 7/16/2005 8 PM Call: 216-241-6000 *running 5/6/2005 to 8/1/2005 Cleveland,Ohio 44115 Presented by: Playhouse Square Center

AroundRR.com - News. Lifestyle. Communities. Technology. Around
Cleveland,Ohio 44106 Presented by: Cleveland Play House Menopause The Musical. A Celebration of Women 11/18/2005 8 PM Call: 216-241-6000

Palace Theatre Lion King Tickets, High School Musical Tickets
Lifestyle. Communities. Technology. Around the corner, Around Ohio, AroundRR.com. Broadway Across America Presents Menopause The Musical

Menopause the Musical Tickets, Discount Tickets and more
Find tickets to Broadway shows at the Palace Theatre in Columbus, Ohio, Bring a group. Click here or call 614.224.7654. Menopause The Musical

Faculty Profile - Detail
Menopause the Musical discount tickets, show and theatre information, reviews, cast, pictures, Ohio Theater Listings, Tickets, News, Reviews, and more

Jean Zarzour AFTRA/SAG/AEA (216) 521-3831 Cell: (216) 832-6557 www
OPENING REMARKS: "Journey to Wellness", Menopause the Musical and Woman in Balance, Cleveland, Ohio (March 2006) KEYNOTE SPEAKER: "Plants, People,

Menopause The Musical Tickets - Call (954)493-8499 - TotalTickets.com
Menopause The Musical NOW PLAYING, Earth Mother/Power Woman Understudy, 14th St. Theater Homebody/Kabul, Mahala, Dobama Theater/Cleveland, Ohio

Playhouse Square Center
We have the largest inventory for Menopause The Musical tickets anywhere on the New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon

Menopause The Musical | Tickets & Shows
The Off Broadway Hit comes to Cleveland. Menopause The Musical is a celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived The

Playbill Show Listings: Menopause, The Musical at 14th Street Theatre
Ohio. T Cincinnati opening in 21 days T Columbus opening in 13 days. Oregon. L Eugene Copyright 2008 Menopause The Musical, All Rights Reserved

Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau Calendar
The Off-Broadway hit comes to Cleveland! Newfoundland, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ohio


menopause the musical cleveland ohio
red clover hormone menopause
menopause type
standard process for menopause
menopause pre treatment